UJOR Build Thread

[RickM]

Chris. Ok. I finally got the green light (from the wife) to convert my van to a 4x4 but I still have some struggles to overcome to do so. Specifically my 5.4 liter sucks at towing, and I plan to tow a good bit. I did put a tune on this thing but the shift points are all messed up and it would only tow a trailer into a headwind at 60 mph on a slight uphill. I looked into a diesel conversion but that worries me for a lot of reasons. I have a 2013 btw. So... I want to help this engine breath in and out better, but I wanted to see if you know of any super or turbo chargers that fit these motors? Heck. Actually any noticeable performance options to increase towing powered would be deeply appreciated.

I know this is somewhat out of your wheelhouse, but I figured if anyone has seen folks deal with these motors/vans, you are the guy. Heck, even Sportmobile in Austin is starting to defer calls to you.

 

[Bbasso]

Tell Chris what tuner and who wrote the tunes. Also what gears are currently in the van, size of tires and which transmission too.

 

[RickM]

All fantastic questions.

A guy named Manny at HPP in Lewisville Tx wrote the tune. He is a drag race guy.
The tires are 265/70/17’s.

Regarding gears and trans. I have no idea what is in this. It’s what came from the factory, but I don’t know what they are specifically. I will have to see if I can do a vin search to find that info.

 

[Littlehouse]

TXRV went home yesterday so I can now share pics! Video will be up later today. 02 E450 V10, 6" lift on 33s (295/70/17 front, 255/85/16 rear) Stage 2 front axle with 4.56 gears and the RSC upgrade, NV271, 1350CVs front/rear, Trailready front wheels, rear wheels blasted & coated to match the front. Fox 2.0s, all of the usual UJ goodies.

Awesome!

 

[Presto88]

TXRV is by a long shot my favorite motorhome that you've had on here, Chris. Wow. That just looks so good!

 

[ujoint]

Chris. Ok. I finally got the green light (from the wife) to convert my van to a 4x4 but I still have some struggles to overcome to do so. Specifically my 5.4 liter sucks at towing, and I plan to tow a good bit. I did put a tune on this thing but the shift points are all messed up and it would only tow a trailer into a headwind at 60 mph on a slight uphill. I looked into a diesel conversion but that worries me for a lot of reasons. I have a 2013 btw. So... I want to help this engine breath in and out better, but I wanted to see if you know of any super or turbo chargers that fit these motors? Heck. Actually any noticeable performance options to increase towing powered would be deeply appreciated.

I know this is somewhat out of your wheelhouse, but I figured if anyone has seen folks deal with these motors/vans, you are the guy. Heck, even Sportmobile in Austin is starting to defer calls to you.

I've wanted to supercharge a 5.4 for a LONG time but we haven't done it. Like Rob said, gears are a huge factor for the 5.4s. How much weight are you pulling? Tuners will only do so much, the biggest benefit is the transmission shift points. Lets see what gears it currently has, most likely 3.73. With the 4x4 swap I like to give 5.4s some gear. 4.56 or 4.88 for 35s. I had a 5.4, 6" on 35s with 4.88s and it was great. Occasionally pulled a trailer.

TXRV is by a long shot my favorite motorhome that you've had on here, Chris. Wow. That just looks so good!

Thanks! Video is uploading now.

 

[ujoint]

 

[ujoint]

BVan is in for some upgrades/maintenance. We did this van in 2010, always one of my favorites.

 

[ujoint]

We've been playing with upgrades for the coil kit and we have the 1st set of upgrades on a van ready for test miles. I've never been a fan of the steering feel (neither have my customers) on these coil kits so we're changing it up and using crossover steering with a new lower trac bar mount and 7/8 hiems/heavy wall trac bar. One of the beauties of the coil kit was the simplicity and off the shelf parts so I threw that out the window, ha.

The #s aren't that far off, the upgrade will be worth every penny when it comes to steering, handling and geometry to avoid death wobble. This van got it in less than a year with all new parts and that really bothers me. Could it still get DW? Sure, anything can. Next on my list is radius arms that will help it flex, these stock pieces are terrible.

We have it ready to drive, will get miles on it and then rip it apart for inspection and paint/clean up. I whipped it around the block this morning and it feels great, no stabilizer. Still need to source the tie rod insert and I'll post a pic of the upper trac bar mount brace that we made. I was seeing some flex on the front engine x-member brace so we tied it into the rear of the x-member too.

 

[Jsweezy]

One of the beauties of the coil kit was the simplicity and off the shelf parts so I threw that out the window, ha.

Next on my list is radius arms that will help it flex, these stock pieces are terrible.

Ya, it has to be hard to make money on "your" kit when buyers can get everything but the brackets from you.

Carli already makes some sweet radius arms (https://www.carlisuspension.com/ford-fabricated-radius-arms.html) and im sure you could buy those and slap your logo on them to resell.

 

[ujoint]

Ya, it has to be hard to make money on "your" kit when buyers can get everything but the brackets from you.

Carli already makes some sweet radius arms (https://www.carlisuspension.com/ford-fabricated-radius-arms.html) and im sure you could buy those and slap your logo on them to resell.

Sorry but I don't understand what you're talking about. The fact that I sell MGs kit? And add my gear logo so I can ID the kit as being sold by us for future tech/warranty or upgrades in case the van changes hands?

 

[Hyperdrive]

I wonder what is creating the issue on the vans you are talking about. I have 15,000 miles on my coil kit and it drives like a dream. Currently we are in Mexico where hitting 1 foot potholes at 70mph is not uncommon. Super happy with my kit.

 

[Jsweezy]

Sorry but I don't understand what you're talking about. The fact that I sell MGs kit? And add my gear logo so I can ID the kit as being sold by us for future tech/warranty or upgrades in case the van changes hands?

This is the first time you have ever been able to put the words "I sell MGs kit" anywhere for the public to see. You have been really good at referring to "our" coil kit or "the" coil kit whenever its discussed on a public place. For as long as you have sold the kit I think thats intentional and your capitalizing on the fact that MG doesn't care for whatever reason. I wouldn't think much of this but as soon as you got Van Compass's lift kit for a couple transits you couldnt seem to keep them out of your descriptions and went as far as to talk about how amazing the parts are and how impressed you were. Its just not cool.

And then you go as far as to put your logo on his kit to help you "identify" what you have sold. Very clever. Did you do the same for the Van Compass lifts? If only there was some sort of identification for every vehicle ever made that could be used in this sort of situation...

 

[ujoint]

I wonder what is creating the issue on the vans you are talking about. I have 15,000 miles on my coil kit and it drives like a dream. Currently we are in Mexico where hitting 1 foot potholes at 70mph is not uncommon. Super happy with my kit.

Too much stress and angle on the drag link/trac bar. DW is common on stock F series trucks, adding lift only makes it worse.

This is the first time you have ever been able to put the words "I sell MGs kit" anywhere for the public to see. You have been really good at referring to "our" coil kit or "the" coil kit whenever its discussed on a public place. For as long as you have sold the kit I think thats intentional and your capitalizing on the fact that MG doesn't care for whatever reason. I wouldn't think much of this but as soon as you got Van Compass's lift kit for a couple transits you couldnt seem to keep them out of your descriptions and went as far as to talk about how amazing the parts are and how impressed you were. Its just not cool.

And then you go as far as to put your logo on his kit to help you "identify" what you have sold. Very clever. Did you do the same for the Van Compass lifts? If only there was some sort of identification for every vehicle ever made that could be used in this sort of situation...

I've stated many times that the coil kit we sell is from MG. It doesn't make any sense to explain that the kit was designed and built by someone else for every kit that I sell or time that I mention it. Just confuses the customer, not necessary, not important unless I decide to get into the business of stoking someones ego. I don't have the time. MG should only be concerned with how many kits I'm ordering and selling, especially because its easy $$ for him at this point. Phone call/email, make $$ w/o doing anything. I sold more coil kits than him anyway, if I had someone outselling me with my own product I'd be ecstatic. Thats a dream as far as owning a business goes!

The MG brackets are part of an entire kit that we sell to make a van 4wd. It doesn't come to us complete, we finish it and make/source all of the additional parts needed to actually build a 4wd van so I see no issue adding our logo to it for our own clever inside reasons. I get a TON of emails about vans that are already 4wd and this helps me ID them because I don't require VIN#s when we sell parts. What should I do if someone buys a kit in stages and it winds up on another van? There are many many reasons to add the gear logo.

The VanCompass kit is complete, comes to us done and ready for install, not apples to apples. We've done TWO Transit lifts, one was my own. I've sold almost 30 coil conversions. Big difference.

I'll be announcing our new modified coil kit parts next week as a complete package. Have a good weekend

 

[JJ72Roofer]

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